Who Will Be the Next LCMS President?
An Opinion
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

Reclaim News receives email from numerous sources around the Synod and there are phone conversations with people in a position to make insightful analysis.

The following are some basic assumptions about the election and are only an opinion, not a prophecy by this writer.

This particular selection of nominees represents the liberal, moderate, and conservative wings of the LCMS.

Assumption 1. Every new president in the history of the LCMS has always been elected from the theologically conservative spectrum of the Synod. At least two presidents moved from being conservative to liberal while in office and were both voted out of office. Every theologically conservative president in the history of the Synod retired or died in office.

Assumption 2. "Jesus First" has shown the delegates how liberal Kieschnick and Muchow really are.

Assumption 3. Of the five nominees, Dr. Hartwig is the third choice of 95% of the Convention. Should those supporting Kieschnick and Muchow lose their nominees, they would support Hartwig. Should those who support Wenthe and Preus lose their nominees, they would support Hartwig.

Assumption 4. Hartwig will be the first of the five candidates to be removed from the "musical chairs" process of elimination employed to elect LCMS presidents because he has the least support.

Assumption 5. If there were a choice between any candidate and Hartwig, Hartwig would defeat every candidate except Rev. Preus. A Preus versus Hartwig election would be too close to call.

Assumption 6. Reverend Daniel Preus's public support for Wenthe makes him a more desirable nominee than Wenthe. Preus is the most astute and balanced theologian of the five candidates. Statically, Preus is the stronger candidate of the two yet the conservative groups have nominated Wenthe on their "United List," and Preus has graciously acceded.

Assumption 7. Should Hartwig be removed on the first ballot Preus will be the next President of the LCMS.

Assumption 8. Should a weak candidate from the right be nominated from the floor before the election, the delegates will have the opportunity to reevaluate Hartwig and Hartwig would have a much stronger chance to win the election. A vote moving to Hartwig on the second or third ballot, would be intended to keep the less desirable candidate from winning.

Assumption 9. If President Kuhn is nominated from the Convention Floor, Hartwig will be removed from the ballot after the first vote, but Kuhn will not make it through the next round of voting.

Assumption 10. Whomever the District Presidents instruct their delegates to support will be defeated.

These assumptions are only designed to generate some individual analysis by the delegates and are merely speculation. Only God knows the future and we pray that His will be done.

There is no perfect election process, but the most unique set of circumstances in the 154-year history of the Synod highlights at least two flaws in the LCMS election process.

The first flaw is that there is no contingency plan to address the possibility of the overwhelming choice for a President dying or being incapacitated after being nominated. There is no way for the congregations to resubmit nominations.

The second flaw is that when there is no clear choice of one nominee or between one of two strong nominees among the five nominees, the "musical chairs" elimination process doesn't give the delegates a chance to reconsider all the candidates after the first ballot. Three rounds of balloting for all five nominees would be much preferred to the present system and then the elimination process could begin by the fourth vote.

Personally, Preus is my first choice and Hartwig is my second choice. It is difficult to support a nominee, who more than likely will not survive the first round of ballots if the slate remains as published.


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

July 5, 2001